


Silent Shadow

by SparkleDragons



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Sazed character study, some emotional abuse, teen for the bad words, there's some mild depictions of the poisoning but nothing too graphic, this isn't a ship thing, this… was never meant to be as long as it was
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 10:55:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15604761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SparkleDragons/pseuds/SparkleDragons
Summary: Sazed’s only reason for going to the performance was for lack of a better thing to do. He didn’t cook, he didn’t see shows all that often, fuck, he didn’t particularly like food. Well... he enjoyed food, but it wasn’t a passion or anything. So really he wasn’t expecting much beyond maybe a free meal and something to pass the time.Bottom line was, he certainly wasn’t expecting to be so entranced by the flamboyant wizard chef who twirled around the stage like he was born there.





	Silent Shadow

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so I know the fandom has a big thing for "Sazed was an abusive person the entire time he was with Taako". I am very much *not* saying that what he did was justified. I just don't ascribe to that view of what their relationship was in canon and wanted to write something about how I interpreted it.
> 
> Huge huge huge thanks to ToTillAGarden for betaing this for me! I super appreciate it : D

Sazed’s only reason for going to the performance was for lack of a better thing to do. He didn’t cook, he didn’t see shows all that often, fuck, he didn’t particularly  _ like _ food. Well... he enjoyed food, but it wasn’t a passion or anything. So really he wasn’t expecting much beyond maybe a free meal and something to pass the time.   
  
Bottom line was, he certainly wasn’t expecting to be so entranced by the flamboyant wizard chef who twirled around the stage like he was born there. Taako was incredible. The way he moved around the kitchen was like watching a complex dance routine. And the  _ magic _ . Sazed had always appreciated magic users. He could never quite get a grasp on it and it  _ fascinated  _ him. He might not have had interest in the cooking, but the way Taako could turn one food into another, light the stove top with a flick of the wrist… Even the sparks and lights he tossed around purely to dazzle were captivating. And then there was Taako. Even on his own he was... just stunning. The way his hips swayed, his hair waved behind him, and his little winks to the crowd left Sazed longing to gain his attention. He  _ yearned _ to be noticed. And maybe if Sazed could spend time with him, just a tiny inkling of Taako’s wonder would rub off on him. By the time the show was over, Sazed found himself never wanting it to end. He wanted to be able to watch this fantastic person for the rest of his life.   
  
As everyone else slowly trickled out, Sazed lingered. He tried to remain inconspicuous, pretending to focus on the various posters plastered around the square where other street performers gathered. He kept a eye on Taako as he packed up and cleaned. Then, just as Taako was getting ready to leave, he approached.   
  
“Uhm. Hi? Hello…” Sazed stuttered, curled in on himself as he approached.   
  
Taako’s ear flicked up in his direction, but he didn’t turn to face him. “Show’s over, my man,” he said with a monotone so unlike his voice onstage.   
  
“Oh. I know. Sorry, I just was hoping to talk with you a little?”   
  
Taako let out an exaggerated sigh and turned to face Sazed, hands on his hips and an unimpressed look on his face. His eyes scanned Sazed up and down before making eye contact. Having Taako staring at him like that was… intimidating. Taako watched him carefully as Sazed tried to come up with the right words to say.   
  
“Well?” Taako prompted. “I know I’m perfect in every way, but if you’re only here to ogle then I have better places to be.”   
  
“S-sorry. I didn’t mean to - uhm. I saw the show today. It was fantastic, by the way!” He grinned wide, stars in his eyes. Taako’s expression didn’t change. “R-right. A-anyways. I was wondering if. If there was any chance. Could I come along? Help with the show?” Taako cocked an eyebrow, but remained impassive. Sazed found himself floundering under his gaze. “I mean. I know you have it all together. I mean, fuck, it’s amazing what you can do! But everyone needs someone to travel with. And I could be, like, a bodyguard? I’m not good at much but I’m strong, a-and I can clean. I just… you’re incredible and I’d love to work for you. And… and..” Sazed figured he should probably stop rambling and let Taako speak. Which… he didn’t. Time stretched on for what felt like ages, but it was probably just a few seconds a most.   
  
Finally, Taako sighed and dropped his arms. “Look, my dude, I don’t even know your name and you want to work with me?”   
  
Sazed felt his brain freeze. Had he really forgotten to mention his  _ name _ ? “S-Sazed,” he said. “My name is Sazed.”   
  
“ _ Wonderful _ ,” Taako drawled, clapping his hands together. “Now. I’m willing to entertain this idea,  _ Sazed _ ,” the way he said his name sent a chill up Sazed’s spine. He wasn’t sure if it was the thrill of being acknowledged or the fear of it. “We’ll give it a test run. I have a show in Haverdale next and I’ll let you tag along. Unpaid. If you prove your worth maybe we can make this a more permanent thing, with some gold involved.”   
  
Sazed found himself nodding vigorously before he could even get words out. Taako.  _ Taako  _ was saying  _ yes _ ! He was letting him work with him! Sure he’d only just learned about him today but Taako was  _ amazing _ . Sazed was incredibly average but Taako was incredible. Sazed would have been happy just  _ talking _ with him, that he was going to actually be given a chance to prove his worth!? It was more than he could have ever hoped.   
  
“Yes!  _ YES _ oh my Gods yes! That would be incredible.  _ Thank you _ !”   
  
Taako smiled ever so slightly for the first time throughout the conversation, and it made Sazed brim with happiness. He’d prove to Taako he was worth it, that he was willing to put in the work. And maybe by the end of it he wouldn’t be quite as average as before either.

~~~

Traveling with Taako was… an experience. It was only a two days’ ride to Haverdale, but those two days proved to be the most thrilling of Sazed’s life. Most of the time Sazed was set to clean, or work with the horses, or drive, but he enjoyed it. He’d been doing work like that since he was little. Being willing to do the work others weren’t was a good way to making. Meanwhile, Taako cooked for the two of them and planed the show. Sazed  _ knew  _ he didn’t have any particular love for food, but Taako’s was just so good he couldn’t help but fall in love with it. How could a simple omelette be turned into such an incredibly pleasurable moment in time?   
  
Taako liked to talk. He liked to talk about himself, about his food, about his show. He liked to talk about magic; stuff Sazed didn’t really understand. Sometimes Sazed thought he just talked to talk, to hear his own voice. He didn’t mind, though, because Sazed liked to hear Taako’s voice too. Sazed gave a little input of his own sometimes and Taako always listened. It was nice… talking with him. Sazed hadn’t had someone consistent to talk to in a while.

As they pulled into Haverdale, Taako called Sazed to the back of the wagon from where he was directing the horses. He quickly pulled them over to the side of the road before climbing back to see what he needed.   
  
“Sazed, what do you think of these posters?” Taako held up one of the still-wet ones. They read ‘Sizzle it Up with Taako! Tomorrow at noon in center square. Come for a meal and show!’ in bright, sparkly, purple ink. It was the same kind of attractive eye-catcher that got Sazed to go to the performance in Greencreak, just to see what kind of person would make something like that.

“They’re wonderful, Taako. Perfectly encapsulates the dazzle that  _ is  _ your act.” Sazed looked over the other scattered papers. There were a lot of posters.   


“Great, cause Taako needs you to go put them up in some local taverns while  _ I  _ go see about setting up.” He smiled and gestured to a box of nails with a hammer resting on it. He got up and patted Sazed on the shoulder saying, “Careful not to smudge the ink, m’kay?” before climbing up to the front of the cart.   
  
Sazed grinned and nodded eagerly as Taako left. He started gathering up the signs, carefully picking them up by the corners if he found them to still be wet. It wasn’t particularly easy, carrying all of them without touching the ink on about five of them. One ended up being carried lightly by the edge in his teeth.   
  
He half-stumbled out the back of the wagon because it started moving just as he was stepping off. He smiled around the paper in his mouth to see Taako getting started. They’d stopped just a block or so from an inn, so Sazed figured that was as good a start as any to start. He hustled down the street, nails and hammer jammed under his arm, hands full of glittery papers. He had to push the inn door open with his foot, startling the halfling manning the counter.   
  
He dumped his supplies on the desk and said, “Hi! I was hoping I could hang one of these posters up in your inn?”   
  
She gave him a skeptical look and hesitantly picked up a flyer to look at it.   
  
“Sizzle it Up with Taako? What’s that?”   
  
“It’s a cooking show! The most amazing cooking show and chef you’ve ever seen,” Sazed bubbled brightly. “You should come if you can get the time off! I promise the food will be amazing.”   
  
The woman lifted and eyebrow and shrugged. “Feel free to hang it up over there,” she said, pointing to a bulletin board filled with all other assortments of posters and adds, “but I’m not sure I’ll be coming.”   
  
Sazed shrugged and grabbed one of the wet signs to help his load. “Your loss.” He nailed it carefully to the center of the board, not minding the other images he covered up in the process.   
  
“Thank you!” He called back as he left the building. “I definitely think you should show up!”   
  
The rest of the process went similarly. It was simple work and he enjoyed it. He reveled in spreading the news about Taako’s show, hoping someone else could experience the same kind of joy he did a few days ago.   
  
When the last poster finally went up, Sazed sighed and wiped his hands on his pants. That was when he realized he didn’t know where the center of town was.    
  
He sheepishly turned to the bartender and asked, “W-which way to the town center?”   
  
The man grunted and pointed in a general direction to the left. Sazed nodded and thanked him before bustling out the door. He marched steadily down the road, whistling as he went. He was going to get to see  _ another  _ one of Taako’s shows, and if he’d done well the past few days even more after that.   
  
He saw the colorful wagon easily enough among the other vendors and performers. He had to push through the crowds to get to the door. When he entered he found Taako sitting cross-legged on one of the cots reading through his recipe book.   
  
“I’m gonna make a scampi and I need you to get some things,” he said without looking up. He pointed at the small table where a piece of paper and quill rest. “List’s over there. Get everything on there  _ exactly _ .”

Sazed nodded and grabbed the piece of paper to scan over it. He… didn’t understand most of it, but he was pretty sure polished river rocks were not a part of any kind of food.    
  
“Rocks?” he asked.   
  
“Don’t question genius, bubalah,” Taako waved him off.   
  
Sazed shrugged, he had a point. Who was he to question  _ Taako _ ? So he grabbed his things and the coin purse and wandered out into the marketplace. He admittedly had no idea how to shop for food products, not in the way a chef would. He ended up bumbling around the center area three times before deciding on the best places to get everything. He wanted the  _ best  _ for Taako. If he could pick out produce well, maybe he could stay on as his assistant.   
  
The sun was low in the sky when he went back to the wagon. Taako was still in the same position, sitting in his bed looking over a book. Now he was writing stuff in it, though, and actually looked up when Sazed came in.   
  
“Oh good,” he said and put the book down. “Thought you’d died or something.” He reached for the bags of food. “Let me see.”   
  
Sazed passed over the bags and let Taako inspect them. He hummed a little as he picked through.   
  
“Well the tomatoes are a little over-ripe, and the pasta’s not the best quality, but overall you did good.” Taako flashed Sazed a heavily lidded smile and he felt a burst of pride shoot through his chest.   
  
“Get some rest. You gotta get up early and start the prep.” He pointed to a new, smaller list on the table. “All the instructions are layed out.”

“You’re going to let me handle the food?”   
  
“Yeah sure. You gotta learn at some point, right?”   
  
“What do you mean?”   
  
Taako shrugged and readjusted himself so he was lying down on the cot, eyes closed. “You’ve done good and Taako’s made a decision,” he mumbled. “You get to stay.”   
  
Sazed felt like his heart would burst. He was being permitted to stay. He had a job with Taako and he would get to see him perform again and again. He would  _ help  _ him perform. Hell, maybe someday he could perform too. Taako had approved his ability to work and was keeping him on and he was so incredibly thrilled. This was going to be the start of something amazing. He just knew it.   
  
“ _ Thank you _ , Taako. I don’t-” A loud snore broke his line of speech. Taako was already asleep. Sazed sighed and settled down on his own bed. It was really just the sleeping bag he’d brought with him while he was traveling on his own with a blanket tossed over it. They hadn’t really had a place to stop and get him an actual bed, especially since they weren’t sure if this was a permanent situation or not. Maybe if he finished prep early he could go out and get something here? Did he have enough gold for that?

He’d count tomorrow. Taako was right, he should get some sleep so he could get up early and prepare everything. The list was short but would likely be time consuming. He couldn’t blame Taako for not wanting to do it.

~~~~~

The next day Sazed got up with the sun. He went about his normal morning routine, brushed his teeth, got dressed. Taako wasn’t awake to make breakfast, which was a shame, so he had to settle for his own poorly-cooked eggs. It was funny; they never bothered him before.   
  
He read over the list as he ate. The first thing was to clean the kitchen, make sure there wasn’t any dust on anything. Then he’d have to set out all the specific pots and dishes Taako would need, along with a few extra ‘decoratory’ things to make the kitchen seem fuller. He had to make sure the knives were sharp, and any food Taako already had was still good. Then he had to start setting up any food that would be used in a prominent place in the fridge. There were a lot of things to get done if he still wanted some time to shop, so he got started without much hesitation.   
  
He, of course, cleaned his own food from breakfast first before moving on to the other tasks. Cleaning took the longest, though presetting tools wasn’t especially fun either. It was hard to make everything seem like it was supposed to be there, especially the things that weren’t a part of the actual show.   
  
It was around nine when Sazed finished up and the sun was just starting to slow its climb in the sky. He still had about three hours before the show started, which was plenty of time to go shopping. Taako stumbled, bleary-eyed into the kitchen as Sazed was getting ready to go.   


“Where you off to?” He mumbled, rubbing his eye. Sazed wasn’t sure when he’d changed into a large sleep shirt and fantasy biker shorts. He was sure Taako was still wearing the same thing as the day before when he went to bed.   
  
“I was going to go get myself a small sleeping cot, since this is gonna be a more permanent thing.”   
  
Taako hummed noncommittally and opened the fridge. Sazed couldn’t help but notice he messed up his careful arrangement as he dug for eggs of his own.   
  
“You ate?” Taako asked, as he pulled out the carton.   
  
“Mhm,” Sazed confirmed, approaching the fridge himself to re-re-arrange everything. Thankfully it didn’t take long this time, since he’d been able to watch as Taako moved stuff around. Taako was only just sitting down to eat when Sazed picked up his bag to head out.   
  
“I’ll be back before the show starts, of course.”   
  
“Cool, cool,” Taako mumbled around a mouthful of egg and toast. “Hey while you’re out can you spread the word some more? It’s my first time in this town so it’s gonna be a harder sell.”

Sazed smiled and said, “Sure!” He was happy to let people know Taako was in town. Everyone had a right to be able to watch his performance. Everyone should have a chance to feel that kind of joy and wonderment.   
  
Shopping was fine. He managed to find a poorly made, and not especially comfortable, mat for four gold. It was a decent enough price, and would do just fine with his sleeping bag on top. Lugging it back to the cart was awkward. He got a few looks from passersby and often used it as an opportunity to advertise for the show.   
  
Someone would look at him funny and he’d catch their eye, smile, and say, “Sizzle it Up with Taako at noon today! Come for a show, free food, and a cooking lesson! You won’t regret it!” Usually the other person scoffed and kept walking their own way, a few people’s confused look only deepened. Only one person showed visible interest after he said it.

The mattress didn’t  _ quite  _ fit through the door easily. Sazed had to awkwardly tug and pull to get it through. He wasn’t sure where Taako was through all of this, especially when he fell on his ass ‘cause he lost his grip. That was gonna bruise. Eventually, though, he managed to set out a space for himself and, dusting his hands off, went to search for Taako.   


He found him in the kitchen, moving things around a bit.   
  
“Show starts soon,” Taako said. “Are you gonna be in the audience or the back of the wagon?”   
  
“Audience, definitely.”   
  
“Sounds good, my man. Draw the crowds in.”   
  
This performance was just as wonderful as the last one. The way Taako incorporated magic into his cooking with such careful precision was something to behold. He showed everyone how to de-tail shrimp normally, and then finished the rest of the batch with magic. Sazed learned what the stones were for when Taako proudly displayed them and said, “Now it seems I’m missing eggs! It’s an easy thing to forget ‘cause you always think you have them, right. Well, if you have magic, it’s not an issue. Watch this!”   
  
He tossed the stones in the air one at a time and caught them in his palms so they couldn't be seen. When he opened his hands and placed each one on the counter they’d been turned into perfect, large eggs, which he cracked into the pot with grace. Sazed  _ knew  _ Taako had eggs. There were definitely at least five left in the crate from his breakfast, so unless Taako had five whole eggs for breakfast so there should be plenty left. But it was part of the show and it got a rise out of the crowd so what was the harm?

With all the flamboyance of his act, it drew a large crowd, about ten or so people big, along with a few who stopped to watch for a few minutes before continuing with their day. It was all around successful.   


As the food finished up Taako called out, “Now I need a volunteer from the audience to help me distribute this!” That was weird, because Taako had done that himself last time. A swarm of hands went up upon his request. “Lets see,” Taako mulled. “You! Large human in the forest green t-shirt!” He pointed in Sazed’s direction. Sazed glanced around confused. He hadn’t put his hand up because he didn’t think Taako would pick him since they were already working together. Hesitantly, he pointed questioning finger at his own chest, provoking a sigh from Taako.   
  
“Yes.  _ You _ . Come on up here, my lucky volunteer!” He waved Sazed over to the stage and passed the plate of samples over the counter. As he did so he whispered, “Just smile and pass stuff out. I’m gonna go around for hat donations.” Sazed nodded and hustled back to start handing the little dishes out. The spectators took them graciously and excitedly, immediately digging in. There was none left when Sazed was done taking his rounds. He watched Taako move through the crowd methodically, going to the wealthiest people first (though there wasn’t any extreme wealth at this performance, just people better off than others).   
  
The crowds slowly dissipated, a few people went up to Taako wanting to talk. Sazed crept to the back of the wagon and waited for Taako to be done. When the sounds from outside finally died down, Taako pushed his way into the cart and seemed almost surprised to find Sazed there.   
  
“Hey. Nice work today. I made thirteen gold.” He reached into his hat, pulled out three of the pieces, and tossed them to Sazed. He fumbled to catch them all, and ended up having to pick up two of them from the floor. “There’s leftovers in the kitchen if you want ‘em. That’s lunch so if you don’t want it you’re on your own.”   
  
“Oh,” Sazed said, startled. “Thanks.”   
  
Sazed wandered into the kitchen and poked around until he found the food. He wasn’t sure if Taako had eaten yet either and split what was left in half, puting the remainder back in the fridge.   
  
It was as divine as anything Taako made, more so because he’d done it for a crowd. Gods, Sazed was going to be able to eat like this for the rest of his life with this deal. This was going to work out just fine. He’d get to work for Taako, one of the most interesting people he’d ever met, would be payed,  _ and  _ got good food. This was a good life for Sazed; it’d be a good life for anyone.   
  
~~~~~   
  
The days went by smoothly. Over time Sazed stopped thinking of Taako as some amazing, ethereal being, and just as a particularly gifted elf with an especially wonderful set of talents. He was still fantastic, but he was mortal. Sazed’d seen him burn himself on the oven, tended to his injuries when he cut himself with a knife. He’d seen a spell or two go wrong and blow up in his face.   
  
The show got steadily bigger over the next few years, and soon helping to make merchandise and actively schedule shows was added to Sazed’s list of chores. Taako had shirts, postcards, posters, and of course a cookbook or two. He was making more money with each show and it was becoming so much more than just ‘showing up in a town and hoping people come watch’. Things were looking up.   
  
Sazed was sweeping the kitchen one day in preparation for a show when Taako approached him and said, “Hey, Sazed, you got a minute?”   
  
“Not really,” Sazed said. “I still have a few things left to do to prep, but I can talk while I sweep. What’s up?”   
  
“Tonight I’m gonna do a dish that involves a heavy cream sauce. It takes a lot of menial stirring while other stuff needs to get done. You interested in helping?”   
  
Sazed felt like someone had just wacked him over the head with a bat made of stardust. Did Taako just ask him to be in a show with him? Was he hearing that right? Him? Taako wanted  _ him  _ to be in a show with him?   
  
“If this is a joke it’s not very funny, Taako.”   
  
“No joke, my man.” Taako leaned against the doorframe. “I need help and you’re the only guy around. It’s a complex dish and I have too much other magic shit planned to keep up a mage hand to stir.”   
  
Taako must have been able to see the stars in Sazed’s eyes because the next thing he said was, “This isn’t cause you’re a good stage presence. You’re about as entertaining as log, Sazed. Don’t let it get to your head.”   
  
Sazed nodded vigorously. “Yes. Of course! Absolutely. I-” He took a deep breath, slowed himself down. “I’d be honored to help you on stage, Taako.”   
  
Taako smiled his heavy-lidded, crooked smile and said, “ _ Excellent _ . Now back to sweeping. I’m gonna go get ready.” He looked Sazed up and down. “You might want to put something nicer on. I left something on your cot.”   
  
Sazed grinned and went back to work, eager to see what Taako left him. Taako didn’t buy things for people beside himself often. Actually, Taako didn’t buy things for people beside himself ever. Sazed couldn’t remember a moment when he did.   
  
So  _ maybe  _ he was a little sloppy with the cleaning in his excitement, but when he (finally) finished up, he wiped his hands on a towel hanging from the side of the sink and hustled into the back cart.   
  
“Whoa there, kemosabe! Slow your role. Someone light a fire or something?” Taako was sitting on his cot doing his makeup in a hand-held mirror. Sazed couldn’t understand where Taako learned to perfect it like that.   


“S-sorry,” Sazed said, eyeing the loosely wrapped bundle on his bed. “I’m just excited is all.”   
  
“Understandable. Who wouldn’t be, getting to be on stage with Taako.” He punctuated his statement with a swift swipe of eyeliner.   
  
Sazed laughed. “Of course.” He gestured to the package that taunted him. “May I?”   
  
“Yeah sure, whatever,” Taako lilted, not actually looking.   
  
Sazed lifted the parcel carefully. Felt like clothing, which made sense considering Taako’s previous comment about getting changed. He opened it delicately, letting the contents unfurl over his hands. It was an apron. The rough fabric was dyed a deep purple and the words “Sizzle it Up with Taako” emblazoned the chest in sparkly gold thread, just like the one Taako wore.   
  
“Taako I don’t-” Sazed was at a loss for words. It was incredible. It was recognition of his status working for Taako.   


“It’s nothing, just trying to keep the look right.”   
  
“ _ Thank you _ .”   
  
Taako turned to look at him, unimpressed. “Don’t look at me like that. This wasn’t for you. It was just so I could keep my brand how I want it.”   
  
Sazed rolled his eyes and slid the apron over his head. It was a little tight around his waist, but he didn’t mind all that much. He wished he had a mirror to see himself in. He settled for tracing his fingers over the embroidery. He would never get rid of this thing. It was a treasure to him now, something only he was allowed to have.   
  
When the show started Taako told Sazed to stay back until he called him up. The show started normally, with Taako first warming up the crowd, then announcing what was going to be made (cream and spinach-stuffed chicken). When he started listing the ingredients and pulling them out, a little knot of anxiety started to build in Sazed’s stomach. What if he screwed up? What if the crowd laughed at him? After all, who was he next to Taako? Taako might take his apron away. He didn’t want that to happen. He  _ couldn’t  _ let that happen. He wouldn’t screw up. He couldn’t screw up. This was something that needed to last. And if he did well he could build up to more. He could help with more on-stage things. He could be  _ important _ . Not just to Taako, to all sorts of people.   


“And here to help me is my assistant, Sazed!” Taako extended an arm in Sazed’s direction to invite him out.   
  
Sazed smiled and waved awkwardly to the audience (and oh boy that was a lot of people wasn’t it).   
  
“Sazed’s going to be stirring the sauce while I start chopping the spinach!” Taako patted Sazed on his shoulder, turning him towards the stove and handing him a wooden spoon already coated in a thick cream.   
  
In that moment, stirring the sauce was the most important thing in Sazed’s life. It smelled amazing, and the sound of the crackling fire under the stove drowned out anything Taako was saying. He couldn’t fuck this up.   
  
Before he knew it, Taako was taking the pot from him and saying, “Thanks for the help Sazed! I’ll call you back in if I need anything, alright?”   
  
Sazed nodded and gave another awkward wave to the crowd as he left. He wasn’t even sure what just happened. One moment he was being handed a spoon and the next he was being waved off. Did he do well?   
  
He spent the rest of the show watching from the back of the wagon, trying to track Taako’s movements and mannerisms more closely. He wanted to learn how to feel so smooth and confident onstage. He needed practice.   
  
~~~~~   
  
Luckily for Sazed, he got plenty of experience. Over the next two months Taako started inviting Sazed more and more, until he was just a near constant presence. Sazed never got good at it, but he did get better. After a certain point he stopped zoning out and became more capable of keeping an eye on what Taako was doing while also completing his task. Most of his jobs involved stirring or chopping, the menial things that Taako didn’t need to do when he could instead be dazzling the audience with his magic or showing a more complex task.   
  
Sazed’s cooking was improving, too. He was no Taako, which Taako was sure to point out any time he tried, but he was better. Watching Sizzle it Up all the time was improving his skill exponentially, be it through osmosis or actual observation. By his measure, he was definitely better than the average person by now. He didn’t always feel like waiting for Taako in the morning before having breakfast.   
  
It was on one of these days, when Sazed was making breakfast and Taako woke up in the middle of it, drawn in by the sound of sizzling bacon.   
  
“What’r you doing?” He mumbled, rubbing at sleep addled eyes. Taako always woke up in a too-big t-shirt and something on a range between bootie shorts and fantasy biker shorts with his hair expertly bed-headed. Sazed had caught him changing after waking up once and that was all he needed to know Taako was a little ridiculous, not just ‘extra’.    
  
“I’m making myself an omelet and bacon,” Sazed said, not bothering to look over at Taako. He knew what he looked like in the morning at this point.   
  
“What? None for me?”   
  
Sazed turned to look at Taako unimpressed and said, “The last time I made you an omelet you told me it was an insult to eggs.”   
  
“That’s cause it was, but it was still food. Let’s see if you’ve improved, hmm?”   
  
Sazed rolled his eyes and opened the fridge for two more eggs, then up above the stove for another small pan. He quickly let the uncooked egg run under the omelette he was already working on while he let the second pan heat up. He flipped the bacon and cracked the two fresh eggs to start cooking. Fresh sizzling filled the kitchen, along with the smells of egg and grease.   
  
“What do you want in it?”   
  
Taako narrowed his eyes and smiled slyly. “Chef’s choice.”   
  
Sazed very well knew this was just so Taako could critique him more, but he found himself wanting to prove himself. If he could, maybe Taako would let him do a little more on the show than just chop and stir. He grabbed what he’d been putting in his, mushrooms, green onions, feta cheese, spices, and finely chopped white onion.   
  
Taako, to his credit, waited patiently for everything to be done. When Sazed finally slid the omelet off the pan and plated some bacon, Taako was giving him a lazy stare from his seat at the closed up counter.   
  
Sazed set his plate down and started crunching on the bacon right away; Taako, meanwhile, started off by investigating each bit of food critically before actually taking a bite. He went for the omelet first, and yeah, that was an easier thing to criticize. Bacon critique tended to peak at ‘too greasy’ or ‘not crunchy enough.’ Sazed waited eagerly as Taako chewed. He was pretty sure he knew the verdict would be something along the lines of ‘too cooked,’ or ‘not enough of this,’ or ‘too much of that,’ but even the slight chance of approval got him buzzing. If he did well he could do more on the show. He could show  _ other  _ people that he could cook, share his ideas. Maybe someday he could be as loved as Taako was, and Gods, wasn’t that a fantasy. He wanted to be as loved as Taako. It must be wonderful to have people hanging on your every word, watching you with stars in their eyes. He craved that kind of attention, the kind he’d never experienced before.   
  
“Hmm,” Taako hummed around a mouthful of egg. “Too much oregano, not enough pepper… Good choice of ingredients, though.” He chewed a little longer. “Try a different kind of mushroom next time. Maybe chopped shiitake instead of portobello? Yeah. That’d really bring it up a notch.”

Sazed couldn’t help but be proud he’d managed to wrangle any kind of compliment out of Taako. ‘Good choice of ingredients’ was the nicest thing he’d heard the man say about another person’s cooking. He _was_ getting better. Even _Taako_ acknowledged it.  
  
He decided to go out on a limb.  
  
“So,” he started, not sure how to broach the question, “since I’m getting better at cooking, thanks to you of course--”  
  
“Debatable, but go on.” Taako interrupted.  
  
Sazed laughed nervously. “Right. Uh. Anyways. Since I’m getting better at cooking, I was wondering ifmaybeIcouldhaveabiggerpartontheshow?” He ran through the last part as fast as his mouth would let him.  
  
Taako chuckled, not exactly friendly-sounding. “I’m sorry. Come again?”  
  
“I just. I appreciate what you’ve done for me so much but all I ever do is chop and stir, chop and stir. I want to do a little more! Maybe help measure stuff out. Show people how to do things. Be more of a partner.”  
  
Taako’s joking, confused smile fell to an unimpressed stare, laced with light befuddlement.  
  
“Sazed you understand it’s Sizzle it Up with _Taako_ , right?” Taako chuckled like the idea was a joke to him. “Not Sizzle it Up with Taako and That Guy who Works for Him.”  
  
Sazed felt himself deflate. He was so _sure_. He was so hopeful that Taako would say yes. Maybe he shouldn’t have created some grand dream about being an equal in the show. He wasn’t as good a cook as Taako. He was lucky to be working with him at all.  
  
No. No he could get better. He could _prove_ he deserved to be on the show. One of these days he’d get Taako’s approval. If he just put a little more effort in, spent a little more time doing tasks for him, watching his technique, Taako would have no choice but to put him on the show.  
  
“Helloooo? Still with me?” Taako said, snapping his fingers a little too close to Sazed’s face.  
  
Sazed frowned and pushed his hand away. “Yeah. That’s fine. I get it.”  
  
Taako pointed a lidded scowl at Sazed and said, “Good. Be a doll and clean up?” He didn’t give Sazed a chance to respond before he turned and walked out towards the sleeper waggon.  
  
Sazed sighed and turned the sink to hot water before grabbing the plates to start with. He’d show Taako he was worth it. He’d show everyone he was worth it. He’d make it so Taako couldn’t ignore how having him on the show as a bigger player was a good idea.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Another month passed before Sazed felt confident enough to take a step himself. He continued to be a background player, continued to sit contently in Taako’s shadow. It was a show in Tenderfoot where he decided to take a stab at things.  
  
Tenderfoot was a forest town, very small and they were only there because they’d happened to be passing through and Taako decided he’d put on a show; ‘Bring culture to the masses’ as he put it. The crowd was small for Taako, only around eleven strong.  
  
Sazed was chopping onions, something Taako didn’t ever do because he ‘couldn’t have that chemical nightmare making him fuck up his makeup with tears onstage.’ Taako was busy wowing the audience with unnecessary magic and babble while Sazed worked.  
  
“How’re those onions coming Sazed? Now if you do it how I showed you, you should have those onions chopped in roughly a minute, which we are hitting right about…”  
  
This was when Sazed would normally quietly hand off the prepared ingredient, trying hard to not let his tearing up eyes show. Today, with a small audience in a place no one knows about, he figured it wasn’t the worst time to try something new.  
  
He handed Taako the bowl of onion and Taako said his line, “Thanks Sazed. Always great to have you on stage.”  
  
This was when Sazed would normally nod and quietly walk off stage, keeping his head down and doing his best to make sure he wasn’t drawing attention away from Taako.  
  
Instead, when Taako was done his bit, Sazed said, “Always love my time in the kitchen!” with all the positive energy and showmanship he could muster.  
  
He saw Taako’s bright stage grin falter for a fraction of a second. He wasn’t even sure if it really happened because Taako went right back to his show as if nothing ever happened.  
  
After the show Taako and Sazed did their usual run around selling merchandise and advertising where the next show would be. Once everyone cleared out, Taako cornered Sazed in the stage coach.  
  
“What the _fuck_ was that?” Sazed had seen Taako mad before but he looked furious. It was just one line. He’d said one thing. He hadn’t run it by Taako but it was a small show, he didn’t think it was a big deal.  
  
“I just- wanted to maybe have a bigger part.” Sazed wanted to melt into the floor. He’d disappointed him. He’d fucked up. He would _never_ get another chance to be on the show again.  
  
“ _Sazed_. Don’t pull this shit again, m’kay?” Taako slapped on his angry smile that meant ‘I’m pissed but gonna put on a nice face cause you’re not worth my full anger.’  
  
Sazed felt himself collapse internally. “Yes Taako. I’m sorry. I won’t. I won’t do that again without running it by you.”  
  
“Good.” Taako looked him up and down. “Oh don’t be like that, you’re still on the show. Just don’t think of upstaging me or I swear I will use every once of power I have to tear you apart.”  
  
Taako’s false smile widened and he turned and left the wagon. Sazed swallowed hard. That was awful. He was an idiot. But… at the same time? A woman who was watching the show had come up to him afterwards and said she loved his little quip, that it was nice to see two people working in a kitchen at once. She was going to use it to get her husband to help out more. It had made him so incredibly happy to know there was _someone_ who cared about him being on the show. He was thrilled. He wanted to feel that thrill again.  
  
He laid low for a while, made sure with Taako before each show he was still allowed on stage. It was two months later when he passed Taako a mixed bowl of dry ingredients for a cake and said, “Always love my time in the kitchen!”  
  
Taako didn’t say anything that night. He glared and ‘accidentally’ knocked over some eggs that Sazed had to clean up. The message came across.  
  
When Sazed asked if he could be in the next show Taako said, “Why don’t you sit this one out,” patted him on the shoulder, and went onstage.  
  
Sazed frowned, but didn’t give up. A few weeks later he did it again while passing Taako some pre measured spices. Again, Taako glared at him for the rest of the day.  
  
That night, before they set up for bed, Sazed said, “Look I… I know we talked about this before, but… I’d really love a bigger place on the show. I think it would be great marketing for-”  
  
Taako held up a hand, stopping Sazed in his tracks. “Look,” he started, “I’m not pleased with this shit. Like. Not at all? But you’re important to the show. You do the planning. You keep shit happening. I need that. I do _not_ need a co-host. I already have my brand figured out and I can’t change that now. Get it?”  
  
Sazed couldn’t help but huff. “Yeah. I get it. Sorry…”  
  
“Good.” Taako ended the conversation.  
  
Sazed was still permitted to be on the show. He kept his interaction to a minimum though. It felt important to him that Taako _admitted_ he was necessary to the show one way or another. It meant he wasn’t going to replace him. It meant he was still on the show regardless of what he did. As frustrated as Taako got with him, he _needed_ him.  
  
Three weeks later, Sazed approached Taako again after a particularly successful show in Goldcliff. He knew he’d be in a good mood, more receptive to ideas. He was just starting to clear away his things he didn’t even let Sazed touch to clean.  
  
“Hey, Taako. Can we… can we talk?”  
  
Taako looked up, only semi-surprised. “Yeah sure, Sazed. What’s up?” He _was_ in a good mood. That was good. If he approached this directly he might have a better chance. He was getting even better at cooking, even _Taako_ had admitted it. He had a chance.  
  
“Look. Listen. I’ve… I’ve really enjoyed working with you, and I think-” He wrung his hands together. Being direct instead of hacking the show with his little catch phrases was hard. “I think what would be great is if we could co-host this thing.” Taako rolled his eyes. He was just now figuring out where Sazed was going with this. “Just, like, shared credit. Put- your name’s up on the stagecoach and it looks awesome; but I-what do you think about Sizzle it Up with Taako and Sazed?” Taako started laughing under his breath and oh boy, better to just keep going right? Right. “Just like, shared credit! Fifty-fifty split! And, you know, we share the workload and, uh, share the-” He felt himself faltering. “Share the glory, you know? And we-”  
  
“Mhmmmm,” Taako hummed, cutting him off and letting him know he wasn’t interested in hearing more. He was still smiling. Maybe that was good? It wasn’t his angry smile. It was… more amused?  
  
“We just… What do you think?” Sazed finished. Gods he hoped this worked. He wanted it so bad. He’d wanted to be a part of this for so long. He still wasn’t as good as Taako at cooking but he was getting there. He was fucking skilled in the kitchen when he was allowed to show off. Taako had to see that. He had to see that having him as a partner would not only give him someone to bounce off and lengthen the shows, it would give him more merchandise opportunities. Sazed wanted to be loved like him. That was all he wanted.  
  
“Well, that is so groovy. I love that. It trips off the tongue, you know, but uh…” Taako blew a raspberry and Gods he wasn’t taking this seriously. He was done listening to this argument to the point that he wouldn’t even dignify Sazed with an appropriate reply. This had happened before, once; when Sazed had wanted more pay. He’d argued and argued but eventually Taako just stopped taking it seriously and there was nothing left for him to say. “I got all these t-shirts that already say Sizzle it Up with Taako and…”  
  
“I can get new t-shirts!” He was grasping at straws. “I can… I can… I printed those t-shirts for you. I can print out new t-shirts.” Taako _had_ to see the sense in this.  
  
“That’s bad business, Sazed! I-I would love to help you out, but it’s just bad business. Sizzle it Up with Taako is the brand!” Taako went back to putting things away as he talked. “I mean… We’d have to throw all these in the junkpile! And you can’t write on them. There’s not enough puffy paint in the world for all these t-shirts to add Sazed on there.” It was lost. All that he could do was let Taako rant himself out. “Sorry! It’s mainly a merch thing. A licence, a merch, then the brand… you _know_ … got the logo painted on the side of the, uh, wagon, already. So I don’t know. I have my brand established. I just don’t think it… it jives.”  
  
Taako had his brand established. Yeah. It wasn’t that he was selfish and didn’t want to share the spotlight.  
  
“Okay. Alright. I get it. I get it. Okay,” he placated.  
  
“Do you get it?” Taako got real close. “Because I don’t want to keep having this conversation.”  
  
Sazed matched his glare. “No, it’s locked in. Definitely. I… I got it, Taako…”  
  
“ _Excellent._ ” Taako drawled and left, leaving the rest of the mess for Sazed.  
  
Sazed groaned and angrily grabbed the mop to start with the floor, which was covered in grease and spices. How could Taako not understand? How could he just keep stringing him along like this? Sazed did _all_ the work. All Taako did was show up and look pretty. Taako said he didn’t want Sazed on stage? Sazed didn’t _need_ Taako. He could cook. Maybe not as well but well enough that he was better than the average person and could wow a crowd. He didn’t have magic but he could show off in other ways. He could show off with _actually_ preparing his own fucking food. He should just up and leave, start his own show.  
  
He knew that wouldn't work. He _knew_ that wouldn’t work. He didn’t have enough of a brand off Taako’s show to hop off on his own and leave Taako in the dust. Didn’t have enough money for his own stage coach either.  
  
He could make an ultimatum, ‘Let me share the spotlight or I leave.’ He knew Taako needed him… But he also knew Taako would sooner see the show crash and burn or get a new, less capable, person to manage him sooner than he’d share the show with _anyone_. That was loud and clear at this point.  
  
So what could he do? Keep the shitty fucking job and clean up after the prince’s messes time, after time, after time.  
  
He cleaned the kitchen and stewed.  
  
~~~~~  
  
A month passed and Sazed was still angry. He didn’t talk to Taako as much. There was no point. Obviously he would never earn his approval no matter what he did. Why bother?  
  
The show was passing through Mithencine, a rickety town with alleyways you didn’t want to go into and bars you didn’t want to pass out in. It wasn’t their usual scene, but there was interest so Sazed had booked a time there.  
  
Taako had sent Sazed out for ingredients, which was proving to be incredibly difficult considering the wealth of the town. There was no way they were earning much money on merch here. Half the interest probably came from wanting a free meal anyways.  
  
Needless to say, he was grumpily scouring the town for any sign of a good food market, or place to buy herbs, or _anything_ really. When he passed a store that had something green hanging in the windows he pushed his way in without really checking the sign. Probably not the best idea because inside was dark, creepy, and, frankly, terrifying. The beady-eyed gnome watching him from behind the counter was doing _nothing_ to improve the atmosphere of the place.  
  
“You looking for anything particular, boy?” The man hissed, making the hairs on the back of Sazed’s neck raise and his skin break out in goose pimples.  
  
“Do you carry… oregano?” He asked, anger still bubbling in the back of his mind at this menial and pain in the ass errand, but that was slowly being overrun by the fear that was starting to fester there too.  
  
The gnome laughed, high and cackly. “Wrong store for that, boy. This here’s an apothecary. We deal with medicine, at least that’s what we say.” He chuckled and Sazed could swear he felt the guy’s eyes burning holes through to the back of his head.  
  
“What do you mean by that?”  
  
He continued to chuckle for a long moment before it clicked in Sazed’s brain. “ _Oh_ ,” he huffed, suddenly much more interested in getting out of this shop. “I’ll… just… I’ll just go then.”  
  
“Suit yourself, boy,” the gnome smiled and watched Sazed closely as he left.  
  
Eventually Sazed managed to find the ingredients Taako asked for. They weren’t perfect but it was absolutely the _best_ in the town. Why he was still putting any fucking effort into this show he didn’t know. Maybe he could find a way to make it work someday and needed a good foundation.  
  
Taako’s only response to his efforts to find the best was, “This was _all_ you could find in _three hours_ of searching?”  
  
Sazed answered that with a grunt, not up to getting into a discussion of _why_ this backwater town didn’t have a fresh fruit market. Taako, always one to talk, didn’t seem especially happy with that answer.  
  
“What? No defense?”  
  
Sazed sent Taako a glare, but didn’t bother to grace him with a response. Taako just wanted another chance to show off. Sazed was so not interested in that kind of conversation so instead he left to do inventory of merchandise.   
  
The show started fine. Sazed was on stage this time, stirring sauce. He didn’t say anything. It went well. It was long, but Taako managed to keep the show going smoothly. When it was Sazed’s time to pass off the chicken he was cubing, Taako added a little twist to his comment about how great it was to have Sazed on stage.   
  
Instead, he said, “Thanks Sazed. Always great to have you in the kitchen. Always willing to _quietly_ help out without complaint.”  
  
Taako smiled sweetly, and it made Sazed burn. He was baiting him. He _knew_ he was baiting him to do something, to say something. And he _refused_ to give him that satisfaction. Sazed held down a practical growl as he stalked offstage.  
  
He didn’t stop walking, instead continuing on to leave through the back of the wagon. He was so sick of being pushed around. _Sick_ of taking a back seat to Taako’s damn ego.  
  
He stalked through the streets, not really taking interest in his surroundings. If he had to take shit from Taako one more fucking time he swore... He’d _loved_ Taako. He’d thought of Taako as a god among men. He’d thought Taako was the end all be all of amazing. He was wrong. Taako was a self-centered, egotistical, piece of _shit_ who didn’t care about anyone but himself.  
  
When Sazed came to his senses, he found himself standing outside the apothecary. He stared up numbly at the sign, not really reading. He pushed his way inside.  
  
The gnome was sitting at the desk and he smiled wide and thin when Sazed entered.  
  
“Soooo decided to-”  
  
“Poison,” Sazed cut him off. “I need poison.” Something in the back of his mind was berating him for overacting. Part of him said he was going too far. He didn’t listen. He was sick of it.  
  
The man chuckled and asked, “What kind of poison you looking for, boy?”  
  
“Something I can put in food without it being noticed. Something even the most skilled chef in Faerun wouldn’t notice until it was too late.”  
  
“Very specific,” the gnome crooned. “I might have something.”  
  
He hopped off his stool and walked around some boxes and shelves towards the other end of the store. Sazed watched the curtain blocking off the back shift as the man left the main store front. When he came back he placed a small vial, no bigger than Sazed’s hand, on the counter.  
  
“Does this chef cook with garlic?”  
  
“Sometimes,” Sazed said, going over in his brain how many times Taako had used the ingredient.  
  
“This’ll do the trick.” The gnome pushed the bottle closer to Sazed who leaned in to read the label scrawled on the lid.  
  
_Arsenic_

“Tastes like garlic when eaten. Blends in _just_ nicely.”  
  
“How much should I use?” Sazed asked, taking the vial to examine the white powder inside.  
  
“What’r you kill’n?”  
  
“Elf,” Sazed said, letting the darkness of his mood seep into his voice for once.  
  
The gnome laughed that high, cackling, bone chilling laugh. “A pinch of that thing would kill an elf in an hour. Aren’t exactly a poison-resistant race.”  
  
“I’ll take the bottle.”  
  
The gnome’s eyebrows raised but he didn’t say anything. Rather he started tapping at the little register on the end of his desk. The sound of the keys clicking echoed around in Sazed’s head as he thought over a new plan.  
  
If the show was _his_ and only his… It already had a following. It had a brand. All it needed was a new host, someone who wasn’t stuck so far up their own ass that they couldn’t see their own audience. But Taako would never _share_ the spotlight. The solution was simple. Remove Taako from the light entirely, make a new space for someone else. But of course, if Taako wouldn’t share the show, he would never give it up.  
  
Taako had to go. It was the only answer. Once he was gone it would be easy, slipping into the empty spot. Fans would crawl at his feet, desperate to fill the void Taako’s absence would create. And finally, _finally,_ Sazed wouldn’t be in anyone’s shadow _ever_ again.  
  
Taako wouldn’t be missed, not really. People loved the idea of him. No one could truly like someone like that if they really knew what he was like beyond all the magic and show lights. Sazed would be more genuine than Taako could ever be. He would be praised and he would _deserve_ it.  
  
“Ten gold, boy,” the gnome pulled him out of his thoughts.  
  
Sazed smiled and handed it over, a small price to pay for his reward.  
  
~~~~~  
  
It was another month before Taako started talking about his new forty garlic clove chicken recipe. It was tricky. Sazed had to make sure whatever he added the poison to would hide it well and few things had enough garlic to do that. But _this_? This was perfect. He would never notice.  
  
Sazed booked a show in a town called Glamor Springs. It was a small town, but they’d preformed there before. He knew the crowd would be just big enough that word would spread of Taako’s untimely death, but small enough that any investigation would end at a magical accident. Taako always used so much magic and it was oh so easy to slip up in the arcane. Everyone knew stories about some magic user or another facing an early end brought about by their own unrestrained power. No one would ever suspect a thing.  
  
He was right. It was the biggest small-town show they’d ever had. Forty people wasn’t big for a Sizzle it Up with Taako performance, but in a place this tiny, it was a wonderful outcome. It was more than Sazed could have ever hoped for. The whole world and their mothers would know what became of Taako from TV.  
  
Before the performance Taako clapped him on the back and said, “Hey, Sazed?”  
  
“Hmm?” Sazed huffed, palming the vial stowed in the pocket of his apron.  
  
“Thanks for backing off during shows and everything. You’ve been nice and quiet, _buuuut_ ,” and there was always a put with him wasn’t there? “you don’t have to _always_ keep quiet. If I can’t talk to my traveling companion I might as well be with a dog or something, right?”  
  
“Oh! Of course,” Sazed said, falling back to how he acted when he first met the guy. “I’m sorry, Taako. Anything for you!” He couldn't remember the last time he genuinely, naively looked at Taako like that.  
  
It seemed to pass, though, because Taako grinned bright and wide and said, “There’s the Sazed I hired to work for me,” and walked out onstage.  
  
It was a long show. The longest one Sazed had ever been privy to. Taako had warned him about this. He’d said the amount of garlic involved meant the chicken had to cook a horribly long time. Most of the actual cooking happened in the first twenty minutes of the hour and a half long show.  
  
The first twenty minutes were also the only time Sazed was on stage, chopping carrots, dicing onions, pulling out spices. And Taako. Self-centered Taako was so busy with his magic and showmanship. It made it far too easy for Sazed to coat _everything_ in powdery arsenic. The crowd watched Taako dazzle and no one bothered to see the shadow working silently in the background. They wouldn’t do that again after today.  
  
By the time Sazed passed everything off and walked off stage, there wasn’t a single part of that meal that wasn’t laced with death. If Taako tasted a single finger-dip of sauce he would drop to the ground in minutes.  
  
And. Sazed panicked. What had he just done? He turned back, just off stage, to stare frozen at Taako, continuing on like nothing had ever happened. Sazed had thought of this for a month, considering every detail. He _wanted_ this. But he couldn’t watch it. He couldn’t. He’d come out to play a false hero when the screams started.  
  
He turned stiffly and walked to the storage coach. He’d been spending more time there lately since he’d gotten more bitter towards Taako. He couldn’t share the sleeper car in the same way anymore. After today he wouldn’t have to.   
  
Sazed gripped the bottle close to his chest and ran his hands through his hair as the show continued on. It felt like it went on for so long and all the while he sat and he waited.  
  
Desperate for something to do, Sazed dug through the boxes and shoved the arsenic as far down in one as he could. He’d dispose of it more properly after. He carefully placed displaced objects back in the box. He didn’t finish before he started hearing shouting.  
  
For a moment he thought his heart had stopped. He’d killed someone. Taako was dead. Sazed let out a long breath and got up off his knees in front of the crate and started rushing towards the main show wagon, ready to put on a panicked performance of confusion.  
  
He barreled directly into Taako and… wait what?  


“ _ DRIVE _ ,” Taako practically screamed in his face. “ _ GO! DRIVE WE NEED TO FUCKING GO! _ ”   
  
Sazed’s gaze wandered just past of Taako’s panic-stricken face and out towards the audience. He watched a woman clutch her gut and mouth, blood dripping between her fingers as she hacked out her collapsing innards, features betraying her fear and pain, and he felt himself want to vomit. Oh  _ Gods _ . Taako never tried the food… That meant…   
  
“ _ WHAT THE  _ FUCK  _ ARE YOU WAITING FOR!”  _ Taako grabbed his shoulders and shook hard. “ _ DO YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME! I JUST FUCKING KILLED PEOPLE WE HAVE TO GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! _ ”   
  
Sazed felt his body snap to attention, his brain still empty and processing. He just killed innocent people. That woman could have been Taako. What was  _ wrong  _ with him. What had he done. He… He couldn’t let Taako find out. Sazed would be killed for this. He…   
  
He had to let Taako take the fall. The show was gone, but Sazed could still save his own ass.  _ Taako _ even believed it was his fault. He could let that keep up, but he needed to get away. The further from Taako he could get the better his chances of disappearing were. He could be a shadow. He’d been doing it professionally for years.   
  
Sazed urged the horses on numbly, not really pay attention to where he was going. They road for two solid days, stopping only to keep the horses from dying. Neither of them slept.   
  
When they finally reached a settlement Sazed urged Taako to get some rest.   
  
“You need to sleep. We can’t figure this out if you’re exhausted. I’ll keep first watch.” He said it numbly, rehearsed.   
  
Taako nodded, eyes just as empty. He didn’t say anything as he curled up in bed and faced the wall.   
  
As soon as Sazed was sure he was asleep he quietly hustled around the waggons, taking things he felt he’d need. He took all the gold. He’d need that. Taako was a good as doomed with those deaths on his head so he wouldn’t need it. He took what clothes he could fit in a bag. When he came to his apron he could only scowl. A symbol, not of recognition, but his dependency. He knew that now. Sazed took the edge of the fabric and held it up to the candle lighting the room. It caught easily and he tossed it outside to burn.   
  
He stared intently at Taako before leaving. He’d adored that man once. He was Sazed’s be-all-and-end-all of incredible people. What a horrible, naive fantasy. Equals… Taako would never see someone else as his equal.   
  
Sazed hitched one of the horses with a saddle and his bags, and he ran.  
  



End file.
